The Birthday Party

The following morning begins, mirroring the start of Act I. Petey comes in from outside, and Meg, hearing him, enters. This time, however, she’s looking for Stanley. Meg notes that she’s out of cornflakes, and their other two guests have eaten the breakfast she cooked. Meg offers Petey tea, promising to go shopping momentarily. She has a headache and a hangover from the night before, and is surprised to see the drum is broken. She doesn’t remember the drum breaking and is disappointed, but she is glad that Stanley at least had it for his birthday. She asks where Stanley is, deciding to wake him up for breakfast, but Petey reminds her that there is no breakfast, suggesting that she let him sleep. Meg says that earlier, she brought up Stanley’s usual cup of tea, but McCann answered his door and claimed that he and Stanley were talking. Meg is curious about this, wondering whether McCann and Stanley previously knew each other. She decides Stanley must have gone back to sleep after McCann and Goldberg came down to eat breakfast.

Meg starts to leave to go shopping but stops at the door, apprehensive about the big car parked outside.